Apparatus for crowning containers under vacuum



April 7, 1942.

J. KANTOR Filed April 3, 1940 APPARATUS FOR CROWNING CONTAINERS UNDER VACUUM A 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 D INVENTOR.

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W V ATTORNE S PTENT n. rice APPARATUS FOR CROWNING CONTAINERS UNDER VACUUM James Kantor, Chicago, 111., assignor to The Liquid Carbonic Corporation, Chicago, 11]., a

corporation of Delaware Application April 3, 1940, Serial No. 327,597

10 Claims.

The present invention relates to improvements in apparatus for applying crowns or caps to filled containers. In the filling of containers for bottled beverages and particularly containers of beer, it has been found extremely advantageous to exhaust all of the air lying in the container above the liquid level after the container has been filled, prior to the sealing of the container. Past experience has shown that, with beer particularly, the small amount of air in the container above the liquid level thereof when sealed in, has a detrimental efiect on the contents of the container.

It has heretofore been proposed to exhaust this small amount of air from the neck of the container before the same is sealed, and the present invention relates to means whereby this air may be exhausted from the neck of the container and the crown applied and sealed to the container expeditiously and with the minimum of apparatus.

For the purpose of disclosing the invention, I have illustrated an embodiment thereof in the accompanying drawings, in which:

Fig. 1 is a longitudinal sectional view of so center post I extends upwardly from the basefi'" supporting mechanism (not shown) and carries, in addition to the rotating parts of the crowner, the stationary housing 2 which surrounds the upper part of the crowning heads. This housing 2 is clamped and secured in place through the medium of a clamping rod 3 which extends centrally of the post I. This post I projects through an opening in an operating table 4, also supported on the base, which table has an opening therein to accommodate the rotating bottle- This bottle support 5 roreceiving support 5. tates with the crowning heads and to this end,

I provide a rotating cylinder 6 having the support 5 in its lower end and carrying a hub I. This hub, in eiiect, is a part of the cylinder 6 and comprises a part of the spindle 8, which spindle has formed therein a plurality of cylindrical guides 9, one for each of the crowning heads I0. This arrangement is such that, as the spindle rotates, the crowning heads will rotate moved from between the dogs I8.

therewith. The bottle, when it is moved on to the table 5 is positioned between the fingers of a pair of vertically spaced star wheels II which thereby position the bottle or other container beneath the crowning heads ID. A plurality of crowning heads I0 is provided but inasmuch as each of these heads is of the same construction, it is only deemed necessary to describe the specific construction of one of the heads.

Each of the heads comprises a cylindrical housing I2 supported from a top yoke I3 having, at its upper end, a roller I4 adapted to travel in a stationarily mounted track I5. This track is so developed that, as the head Ill rotates, theroller I4, operating in the track, will cause the head and its associated parts to reciprocate, thereby moving the head downwardly toward the bottle located beneath the same to place the cap or crown upon the bottle and to crimp the same.

In Fig. 1, it is apparent that the track I5 on the left-hand side of the figure is such as to have raised the head It] to the uppermost limit of its stroke, while at the right-hand side of the figure, the track has dipped to a position to have moved the crown head to the lower-most limit of its stroke and to the point where the application and crimping of the crown on the container has been completed.

The housing I2 has reciprocably mounted therein a hollow stem I6 which is biased downwardly relatively to the housing, by a coiled spring I7. During a portion of the downward movement of the housing I2, the stem I6 is locked to the housing by a pair of dogs I8 pivoted in slots in the walls of the cylinder I6 and adapted to engage in a V -shaped slot I9 formed between the annular rings 26 against which the upper end of the spring I! bears.

A plunger 2| is arranged within the cylinder I5 and this plunger is biased downwardly by a coiled spring 22. This plunger, at its upper end, is provided with a reduced neck 23 and a wedgeshaped head 24 normally fitting between the dogs I8 to maintain the dogs spread into the notch I9 and thereby lock the parts so that during the initial downward movement of the housing I2, all of the parts will move together. When, however, the lower end of the plunger comes in contact with the crown on the mouth of the container, the downward movement of the plunger 2| will stop, permitting the cylinder I6 in the housing I2 to continue to descend until the wedge 24 has This releases the dogs and disconnects the cylinder from the housing I2 permitting the housing I2 to continue in its downward movement while the cylinder It may remain stationary.

The lower end of the cylinder I6 supports the crowning throat which is provided with a suitable crown crimper 26.

To hermetically seal the upper portion of this throat, I provide a sealing washer 21 gripped between a flange 28 on the throat 25 and a ring 29 surrounding the plunger 2| and interposed between the flange 28 and the end of the sleeve |6 upon which the crown throat 25 is screw threaded. The washer is provided with an upturned flange portion 30 embraced by a clamping ring 3| to holdthe portion 30 of the washer in close contact with the bottom end of the plunger 2|. This arrangement permits the plunger to move relatively to the throat and, at the same time, hermetically seals the upper portion of the throat to the atmosphere.

The bottom end of the throat isprovided with a sealing gasket 32 maintained in position by a threaded plug 33 which also maintains the crimper 26 in place, and this sealing gasket 32 projects beyond the bottom face of the throat, for a purpose which will more fully appear hereinafter.

Supported below the crowning throat is a crown support 34 within which is mounted a vertically movable crown rest 35. This crown rest is biased in projected position through the medium of a plurality of coiled springs 36 interposed between the crown rest and the bottle throat 31 which is threaded into the support 34. Interposed between the throat 3'! and the crown rest is a rubber ring 38 U-shaped in cross section and, as

the crown rest 35 is moved downwardly relatively to the throat 31, the ring is compressed vertically and horizontally expanded to cause the same to make sealing engagement with the neck of the container to be crowned.

The crown rest 35 is adapted to receive and support a crown thereon for application to the mouth of a container and is provided with a shoulder 39 surrounding a portion of the opening 40 in the crown rest. In its normal position, the crown support is sufliciently spaced vertically from the crown throat to permit the insertion therebetween of the end of a crown chute 4| which chute delivers a crown to a position immediately above the opening 40 and on to the crown rest '35. The crown chute 4| is rotatively stationarily mounted and as the crowning head moves past the same in its orbit of movement, the chute 4| will, for a period, be between the throat and the crown rest and in a position to deliver a crown on to the crown rest.

The crown support 34 is supported from the crown throat 25 through the medium of a collar or sleeve 42 which surrounds said sleeve and is supported therefrom in such a manner as to have a relative vertical movement thereto so that the crown support and the throat have relative vertical movements. To this end, the collar or sleeve 42 is provided with an inwardly extending annular flange 43 adapted to overlap an outwardly extending annular flange 44 on the throat 25. It is to be noted that these two flanges are vertically spaced apart so that there can be a vertical relative movement between the collar 42 and its associated crown support 34 and the throat 25. The space between the collar 42 and the throat 25 is sealed by a sealing washer 45 clamped between the flange 43 and a threaded ring 46 and having a downturned flange 41 embracing the throat 25 so that between the throat 25 and the collar 42 there is provided a sealed chamber.

As an additional seal, the upper end of the throat 25 is provided with an annular collar 48 held against displacement by a suitable shoulder on the throat and between this collar and the end of a sleeve 49 threaded on the plunger I6 is interposed a sealing washer 50. By this arrangement, I provide for a relative sliding movement between the collar 42 and the throat 25 and, at the same time, effectually seal a chamber within this sleeve 42 to the atmosphere. This chamber is adapted to be connected with a suitable vacuum source through a nipple 5| entering a valve housing 52 on the collar 42, which nipple is connected by a flexible conduit 53 with a source of vacuum through a valve, to be more fully hereinafter described.

The port 54 of the nipple 5| connects with the chamber through a port or opening 55. This arrangement is such that when a vacuum is pulled in the chamber between the flanges 43 and 48, suficient force will be exerted to move the crown support 34 upwardly until the rubber gasket 32 engages the top surface of the crown support 34, thereby sealing the joint between the crownsupport 34 and the throat 25, thus effectually sealing the neck of the bottle against the atmosphere.

The housing 52 is also provided with a valve opening 56 whichcommunicates with a port 51 the support 34 which, in turn, communicates with the space between the crown rest 35 and the throat 31, and this space, in turn, communicates with the chamber surrounding the bottle neck, the crown rest 35 being provided with vertical passageways 58 and the bottom face of the member 33 being likewise provided with passageways 59 whereby, when the port 54 is placed in communication with the chamber surrounding the neck of the bottle, any air in this chamber will be exhausted therefrom. This is permitted because the crimper 26 does not make sealing engagement with the plug 33. In order that this may not take place until after the support 34 has been moved into sealing engagement with the gasket 32, I provide a valve 63 seating on the valve seat, having the opening 56 therein under the influence of a coiled spring 5 This valve 50 is provided with a vertical stem 62 which, when the crown support 34 is moved upwardly under the influence of a vacuum, eventually strikes the ring 48 moving the valve ofi of its seat and thereby placing the chamber surrounding the container neck into communication with the source of supply.

In operation, as each crown head rotates on its orbit, a bottle or container is deposited therebeneath. When the roller |4 engages the dipped portion of the track l5, the crowner, including the housing |2, with its associated parts, including the crowning throat and crown support 34, is moved downwardly, causing the neck of the container to be received in the ring 38. The crown having previously been deposited on the crown rest 35 is deposited upon the top of the bottle or container. At about this time, the chamber or recess between the flanges 43 and 48, is placed in communication with the source of vacuum, through a valve mechanism, to be hereinafter described, and with a vacuum drawn in this chamber, the crown support 34 is pulled up toward the throat 25 so that the crown rest 35, coming in contact with the plug 33, will be forced downwardlyexpanding the ring 38 into sealing engagement with the neck of the bottle. At the same time, the sealing ring 32 makes engagement with the top of the crown support 34 thereby securely sealing the joint "between the support and the throat to thus establish a hermetically sealed chamber within which the crown and top of the bottle is disposed. Upon the raising of the crown support 34, the valve stem'B2 operates to open the valve 60, thereby placing the port 59 in communication with the port 54 and thus placing the hermetically sealed chamber surrounding the neck of the bottle in communication with the vacuum producing device so that any air which is contained in the neck of the bottle above the liquid level, is ex hausted from the neck of the bottle. At the same time, it being remembered that the housing 12 is descending, the plunger 2! is descending with the'housing as well as the sleeve 16. The

plunger 2! initially seats itself on the crown, holding the same on the top of the bottle and as the housing E2 in the sleeve I6 continues to descend, the plunger 2|, remaining stationary, the dogs l8 are disengaged from the housing l2. However, during the relative movement between the sleeve 16 and the plunger 2!, the crimper mechanism 26 is descending so that the crimper throat passes about the top of the neck of the bottle and crown, thus eifectually crimping the crown in position on the neck of the bottle and sealing the neck of the bottle. Due to the fact that the dogs if! have disengaged the sleeve from the housing 12, the housing is still pressed down by the spring 22 and, at the same time, the housing l2 may continue in its downward movement without aiTecting the position of the sleeve, although the sleeve is biased downwardly by the spring ll.

It is to be noted that during the crowning operation, the ring 38 is transversely expanded into sealing engagement with the neck of the bottle and that in view of the fact that the sealing ring 32 seals the joint between the support 34 and the throat 25, the chamber in which the crimping of the crown is placed, is hermetically sealed against the atmosphere and that at the same time, this chamber is connected with a source of vacuum, whereby all air in the top of the container or bottle is exhausted. This can be readily efiected, even though the crown is seated on the top of the bottle, because of the fact that the crown is not tightly crimped on the bottle and there is suificient looseness of the fit vof the crown on the top of the bottle for the air in the bottle to escape beneath the crown and around the crimps. However, as soon as the crown is thoroughly crimped on the top of the bottle, the bottle is sealed air-tight so that there is no danger of air again entering the bottle. By the time the crown has been crimped on the top of the bottle and the housing !2 has reached a point where it commences to move on its upward stroke, the valve, controlling the connection of the chamber between the flanges 44 and 45 shuts off communication between the vacuum supply and this chamber and opens this chamber to atmosphere so that, during the upward stroke of the housing I2, the crown support 34 will drop downwardly, permitting the valve 6!) to move to its closed position and also permitting the crown rest 35 to, move upwardly to its initial raised position, thereby relieving the pressure on the ring 38 So that as the housing moves upward, the neck of the bottle will .freely pass out of this ring. It is to be further noted that due 'ducing means. provided with a short annular groove 61 conto the fact that the ring 38 is compressed and due to the fact that the springs 35 are compressed during the crimping of the crown, as soon as the source of vacuum is cut off, these parts will tend to separate the crown support from the crown throat.

Each of the crowning heads is connected to a vacuum source through a valve mechanism so arranged that the sealed chamber surrounding the neck of the bottle is connected'jwith the vacuum source for the short period during which the crown support is raised and the sealing of the crown takes place. To this end, I provide a valve mechanism, more fully disclosed in" my co-pending application filed January 5, 1940,- Serial No. 312,487. In providing the valve mechanism, I mount on the sleeve 1 a valve ring 63 having on its under'face a groove or channel 64 which extends partially around the ring and, at one point, is connected through a suitable port 55 with a nipple 6B in turn connected by conduit 6! with a vacuum pump or other vacuum-pro- This ring, on its upper face, is

nected with the groove 64 by a vertically drilled opening 88. The ring 63 is held against rotation by any suitable means, as by a holding rod or other suitable device. Cooperating with the ring 63 is a valve ring 69 having an elongated slot communicating with the slot 64 and with a nipple ID to which the flexible conduit 53 is connected. The valve ring 69 is maintained in contact with the ring 63 by a collar H surrounding the sleeve I between which and the ring 69 are interposed suitable springs 12. is supported on the sleeve 1 by a bottom collar 13 held in position by a threaded ring collar 14.

The arrangement is such that as the heads l0 rotate, each of the heads being connected by a conduit 53 with the ring 69, the vacuum chambers, heretofore described, are for a predeter mined period, placed in communication with the vacuum producing device, which period continues during the application of the crown, as hereto fore described. 7

I have found that the degree of vacuum necessary for the evacuation of the air from the top of the container immediately before sealing and for elevating the crown support 34 must be very the degree of vacuum used during the sealing of' the bottle is not sufficient to destroy the surface tension of the liquid in the bottle,,all of the air in the neck of'the bottle and lying on top of the liquid may be exhausted without pulling any of the CO2 out of the liquid.

This surface tension of the liquid contained in the container is the molecular force of the molecules of the liquid pulling downwardly at the surface of the liquid in resistance to the molecular force of the molecules of the atmosphere above the beer, and this force designated as surface tension, of course, varies with the specific gravity of the liquid. Beer has a relatively high specific gravity and some types of beer havingheavier body than others, of course have a greater specific gravity than others. If, however, taking into consideration the specific gravity of the The ring 63 liquidbeing bottled, and temperature at which it is bottled, the vacuum drawn in the neck of the bottle above the contents is not gieat enough to destroy the surface tension of the contents'of the bottle ,or container may be raised to a sulficiently high point to exhaust the air above the contents of thebottle during the sealing operation without causing foaming of the liquid. ,1, therefore, :in the carrying out of the invention above described, regulate the extent of vacuum to the point where it will be sufficiently high to exhaust the air above the contents of the bottle but will not be sufliciently high to destroy the surface tension of the contents so that I am enabled to seal the container air free without foaming and without the loss of the CO2 gas in th contents of the container. 7

I claim as my invention: 1. The combination with a crowning head havinga crown throat and crimper means arranged in said throat and a crown support vertically separable relatively to said head to receive a crown, means for sealing the top of said throat, means for sealing a container neck in said support, subatmospheric pressure means for sealingly moving the crown support into engagement with said throat to-provide a sealed chamber enclosing the neck of the container, and means for connecting said chamber with a vacuum source, said crimper operating to crimp a crownon the container neck while said chamber is connected with said vacuum source,

2. The combination with a crowning head having a crown throat and crimper means arranged in said throat and a crown support vertically ing the neck .of the container, and means operated by said sealing movement of the crown supin said. throat and a crown support slidably mounted on said head beneath saidthroat to receive a crown, meansior sealing the topof :said

throat, means for sealing a container neck in said support, means providinga sealed chamber between said head and said support, means for establishing a vacuum in said chamber for moving said support into sealed engagement with said throat to provide a sealed chamber enclosing the neck of the container, and means for connecting the chamber enclosing the neck of the container with said chamber between the head and support when said support is moved into sealing engagement with the throat.

6. The combination with a crowning head having a crown throat and crimper means arran ed insaid throat and a crown support vertically movable relatively to said head, a crown rest vertically movable in said support, a sealing ring in said support beneathsaid crown rest and compressible by the vertical movement of said rest about the neck of a container projected through said support, means for sealing the top of said crown throat, subatmospheric pressure means for vertically moving said support relatively to said head to seal the junction between said support andsaid :throat andcompress said ring about said neck to provide asealed chamber enclosing said neck, and means for connecting said sealed chamber with a vacuum source, said crimper operatingto crimp a crown on the container neck while said chamber is connected with said vacuum source.

7. The combination with a crowning head having a crown throat member and crimper means arranged in said throat member and a crown support member having a crown rest and separable from said throat to receive a crown on said rest, said crown rest being vertically movable in said support, of means forsealing the upper portion of said throat, means for sealing port for connecting said chamber with a vacuum the joint between said support and throat, a sealing ring carried in said support and movable into sealing engagement with the neck of the container by the vertical movement of the crown rest to provide a sealed chamber for the top of the container, subatmospheric pressure means for vertically moving said support relatively to said throat, and means for connecting sealing the top of said throat, means for sealing [510 a container neck in said support, subatmospheric pressure means for sealingly moving the crown support into engagement with thethroat to provide a sealed chamber enclosing the neck of the container, and means for connecting said chamher with a vacuum source, said crimper operating l to crimp a crown on the container neck while said chamber is connected with said vacuum source.

4. The combination with a crowning head having a crown throat and crimper means arranged in said throat and a crown support slidably supported on said head below said throat, means for sealing the top of said throat, means for .sealing a container neck in said support, mean forming a sealed chamber between said support and said head, means for establishing a vacuum in said chamber for moving said head and support relasaid sealed chamber with a source of vacuum, said crimper operating to crimp a crown on the container neck while said chamber is connected with the vacuum source. I

8. The combination with a crowning head having a crown throat and crimper means arranged in said throat, and a crown support, a sleeve carrying said crown support and slidable on said head, said sleeve and head having a vacuum chamberformed therebetween, means for sealing the top of said throat, means for sealing -a container neck in said support, means for establishing a vacuum in said sealed chamber for moving said supportinto sealing engagement .in said throat, of a sleeve surrounding said head and ,slidable thereon, a crown support carried by said sleeve and separable from said throat to receive a crown, means for sealing the top of said throat, means for sealing a container neck in said support, said sleeve and head having a sealed. chamber formed therebetween, means for establishing a vacuum in said chamber to move said support into sealed engagement with said throat to thereby establish a, sealed chamber enclosing the neck of a container, and means for connecting said second-mentioned sealed chamher with said first-mentioned sealed chamber when the support is moved into sealing engagement with said throat.

10. The combination with a crowning head having a crown throat and crimper means arranged in said throat, a sleeve slidingly supported on said head, a crown support carried by said sleeve and separable from said throat to receive 15 throat.

JAMES KANTOR. 

